Vehicle testing facilities can boost automobile exports, says ICAT director

NEW DELHI: Indian vehicle safety testing certification facilities can help in vehicle exports, said Saurabh Dalela, director, International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT).

Elaborating on the advantages of indigenous testing facilities, Dalela said that if a vehicle is being exported from one country to another, and the destination country lacks a certification arrangement, India can step in to provide the necessary certification. Additionally, the import duty is waived in such cases, which could streamline exports and strengthen India’s role as a global automotive testing and certification hub.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 65th SIAM annual convention, Dalela said, “We have almost all the necessary lab infrastructure related to vehicle testing. As Gadkari ji rightly said, we are not only conducting tests for India, but also for many foreign countries. Currently, we are testing vehicles for 141 countries”.

#WATCH | Delhi: On 65th Siam Annual Convention, Saurabh Dalela, Director, ICAT-International Centre For Automotive Technology, says, “… We are not just testing for India, but for many other countries. We can certify vehicles for 141 countries… At this time, all testing… pic.twitter.com/Ql7paTBfFt

— ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2025

“Another good thing by the government is that if a vehicle is being exported from Country X to Country Y, and there is no certification arrangement in the destination country, the import duty is waived, and India provides the certification for that country”, he said.

Safety testing of vehicles by the International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT) involves a comprehensive evaluation of vehicles to ensure they meet national and international safety standards. ICAT is one of India’s premier automotive testing and certification agencies under the Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The ICAT provides testing services for both domestic certification (like AIS standards for India) and international homologation (UNECE regulations, etc.), making Indian vehicles acceptable in over 141 countries.

Going further, Dalela urged the automobile manufacturers to participate in Bharat NCAP, which is India’s national car safety assessment programme. Bharat NCAP crash-tests cars to provide consumers with a star rating for safety performance. As per a study of the World Bank on road crashes and injuries published in 2021, India accounts for 11 per cent of all crash-related deaths with 1 per cent of the world’s vehicles.

The automobile sector contributes approximately 6 per cent to India’s national GDP, with exports reaching 4.5 million units across all categories in FY 2023-24, including 6.72 million passenger vehicles and 3.45 million 2-wheelers. Global automotive companies like Skoda Auto and Volkswagen India, exporting 30 per cent of their production, and Maruti Suzuki exporting around 2.8 lakh units annually, exemplify this trend.

The sector has attracted $36 billion in foreign direct investment (FDI) over the past four years, highlighting India’s growing prominence in the global automotive landscape. Major international players are making substantial commitments, with Hyundai planning a $4 billion (Rs 33,200 crore) expansion, while Mercedes-Benz has pledged $360 million (Rs 3,000 crore). Recently, Toyota announced a $2.3 billion (Rs 20,000 crore) investment to further increase its capacity. (ANI)